Question

Come up with an example of a consumer related habit and how it has been classically conditioned. Identify each of these components: the unconditioned stimulus, the neutral stimulus that becomes conditioned, and the response.

Come up with an example of a consumer related habit and how it has been operantly conditioned. Identify the response and the kind of reinforcement (positive or negative).

Answer 1

Consumers are classically conditioned quite well in the classic sense. Easier when one used to enter a super market products would largely be disjointed and here and there in right categories. Now many brands and products make tie ups, which almost makes an item (neutral stimulus) a conditioned stimulus when paired with another item (unconditioned stimulus). This makes the consumer thing of the other item when purchasing a current item. For instance a certain sauce sold with a certain dish constantly will make the person by the sauce even when they aren't paired.

Consumers are quite often conditioned operantly by supermarkets or the like. Operant conditioning when there is feedback (positive or negative) that either propagates the behavior or removes it. Coupon system and discount system is a big operant condition tool. For instance, if a consumer buys a certain more quantity they get a coupon for next time, which makes the consumer not only buy more then, but come back later for more as well.